To Catch a Thief
by Thousand Faces
Summary: To catch a thief, use a thief. A skilled thief breaks into Grimmauld Place and gets quite a good deal more than she bargins for. How'd she do it? Read and see mes amis! Read, review, and enjoy. Set just after book 5. AU. Updated!
1. A Sheep in Wolves Clothing

Author's Note: Here I am again! My muses will just not leave me alone! You know how it is, they leave you for months with nothing to do, and then they come back from their all expense paid vacations and just start throwing ideas at you. Incorrigible little puppies. This is an AU fic, so y'all know. In other words…MY SIRIUS LIVES! I'm just a slightly crazed fangirl, deal with it. Enjoy!

Adios Amigos,

T.F.

* * *

She jumped through the cut window nimbly, landing with an inaudible thump on the threadbare carpet. She glanced around carefully, her sea green eyes gazing about the dark hallway meticulously, making sure that no one would interrupt her late night exploration of this strange residence.

Once she was certain that no one in Number Twelve Grimmauld Place was up getting a midnight snack, she turned around, using her wand to meld the large glass oval that had been cut out to serve as a door, back into the window frame.

The woman, probably about 27 years of age, smiled smugly to herself. Two simple memory charms, a few shrinking curses, and an obvious lack of a 12 in the number line up was no match for her well honed larceny skills. She straightened up and surveyed the interior of the dwelling, placing the wand in her back pocket and wrapping up her long dark braid into a bun. She wasn't exactly sure what she expected to find of value in this dump. The woman rested her gloved hands on her hips, stopping momentarily to smooth down her ebony pants with the obsidian leather. _Well_, she thought, _might as well take a look around, seeing as I went to all this trouble anyway_.

She made her way cautiously down the hallway, her thin cloth shoes sliding a little on the stone floors. By the escalating number of doors she was passing she deduced that she was venturing into the rooming section and took special care to quiet her breathing and dance around the slits of light peering out from under several of the entrances. Several feet in front of her one of the said doors did in fact open. She pressed herself up against the hallway wall and then, feeling the round doorknob pushing into her lower back, she quickly backed up into a room.

Once the door had been firmly shut behind her, she turned around, heaving a sigh of relief. Unfortunately this sigh caught in her throat when she saw 3 pairs of young, inquisitive eyes staring at her. There, sitting on the two beds which occupied much of the space in the small room were a girl and two boys, all in their teens. The first boy had clear green eyes that held a certain amount of pain in them and scraggly hair that seemed quite unruly. The girl had mousy brown hair that waved and curled down to her shoulders, her eyes conveying palpable disapproval that actually made the woman squirm. The third boy, leaning up against the wall, was rather lanky and thin, his fiery red hair falling into cinnamon eyes that stared at the intruder half in surprise and half in fear.

"Who the bloody hell are you?" asked the red head, voice trembling ever so slightly.

After years of walking the crooked and ambling path, she had learned that when you couldn't tell the truth, it was best to go for confusion.

"Ah-ta-cha," the lady said, shaking her finger, "Language, young man." The freckled boy did indeed blink at her several times before the girl had to step up for him.

"You'll have to excuse Ron. But really, who are you?" she repeated, sitting up straight and staring at the oddly appareled women. "Are you a new member?"

"…Yes?"

"Shouldn't you be downstairs at the meeting then?" the girl asked again, her eyebrows rising speculatively. The woman found herself scrambling for excuses.

"I was! That is, ah, they sent me up here to, uh, check on you three." The woman raised her own eyebrow, "Speaking of that, shouldn't you be in bed? Asleep? It's very late you know."

The three teens smiled sheepishly at each other. The prospective thief's eyes were drawn to a silvery object, thrown over the foot board of the bed. She made her way over to the invisibility cloak and was about to pick it up until she noticed the emerald eyed boy staring at her in concern. "Do you mind if I…" she motioned towards the cloak, her eyebrows raised in question.

The boy swallowed back his hesitancy. "No, go ahead."

She picked it up, enjoying the feel of it slithering through her sinuous fingers. "These are very rare, where did you get this?"

"It was my father's." He was actually rather amazed that she didn't know. Then again, she had only just joined…

Suddenly, an idea came to the thief.

_Perfect_.

"Is that a tear?" she studied the fabric with mock concern, stretching her fingers over the non-existent tear.

"Where?" yelped the alarmed boy crawling across the bed to the woman.

"Right there," pointed the woman. She knew that if she was insistent enough that there WAS a tear, it wouldn't matter that no such thing existed. He would indeed see a small tear. "No worries though," she quickly whipped the material away as to not let the boy get too good a look, "Nothing too serious. I've got some things downstairs that could probably fix it."

"Thank you. Thank you very much!" exclaimed the dark haired boy happily.

"It's nothing really. Now," she scolded, turning to all three of them and shaking her finger, "I want you all to get some sleep. Alright?"

The group of friends sighed, but nodded grudgingly. "Good. Sweet dreams," she sang, making her way out of the bedroom. She shut the door behind her and looked greedily at the cloak, "Pleasant thoughts." Slipping the cloak around her lean personage, she finally achieved what every thief in the world longed for; invisibility.

True, the cloak was a bit small for her, but if she crouched down slightly it completely covered her. She walked down the hallway again and, upon reaching the end of it, made her way down a dilapidated staircase. The woman looked around the entry way and did a small dance when she saw the front door. _Freedom!!_

Her hand was on the doorknob when she heard raised voices coming from behind her. She whirled around, wand in hand, to find absolutely no one there. Yet, the shouting continued…

She walked slowly back towards the staircase, the voices getting nearer. She peeked her head around the stairs, and saw a large door with light coming out from under it that she hadn't noticed before. The woman berated herself for being so unobservant and then decided to partake in a little eavesdropping. She unlocked the door quietly with her wand. Taking a deep breath and clutching the cloak close to her, she opened the door slightly and slipped in, closing it swiftly and inaudibly behind her. Fortunately, the occupants of the large meeting area were too engrossed in the current argument to notice the door opening and closing by itself.

"We can't just sit here and do NOTHING!!" The man that was currently shouting was tall with dark longish hair tied into a ponytail. He was rather good looking, the woman admitted to herself, with roguish, but comforting dark grey eyes, and strong cheekbones. He might have been even more appealing if he wasn't scowling so fiercely. A few dark strands of hair framed his face, escapees from his ponytail. He wore a long sleeved charcoal sweater, sleeves pushed up around his arms. At this moment, he was standing up from his seat, hands placed flat against the table; the legs of which were still wobbling from the onslaught.

"You're absolutely right," said another man, rising to meet his comrade, "WE have to do something. YOU on the other hand, have to stay here." This man was of medium height with wavy brown hair that fell freely into tired looking amber eyes. His face was of a handsome kind. He wore a green shirt over a red and brown plaid long sleeved over shirt. "You're still a wanted man Sirius and that was a close one last time."

_Sirius Black?! Where the hell am I??_

"I was fine!" exclaimed Sirius in disbelief.

"You were lucky. I don't want to take any unnecessary chances." The brown haired man sat back into his chair. "Voldemort is gaining strength and gathering his forces. ALL of us have to be careful."

_Voldemort?!? _She hadn't exactly traveled in the highest of circles, but she didn't travel in the circles of _hell_ either!!

"That's right," interjected a spunky looking lady with bizarre purple hair, "we already have reports from Bristol of members being assaulted by Death Eaters. In broad daylight! Harry's prophecy is hardly helping us."

Alright, things were getting a little too creepy for her tastes. Damning her inquisitive nature with every step, the thief fumbled the door open. The group continued arguing, still not noticing the movement of the portal. She was almost out the door when she felt it happen. The cloak caught on the doorknob and slid off of her.

The room behind her went immediately silent. She stayed in her crouched position, her face scrunched up in agony. _So close…_

The woman turned around and stepped back into the room. "Oh I'm sorry. I've seemed to have wandered into the wrong house. Terribly embarrassing you know, bothering you people like this. I suppose I should really be off now." She whirled around, ready to make her escape; only to find that her one exit was being blocked by the infamous Sirius Black.

"Its no bother at all, believe me," he sneered at her.

The woman blinked a few times before backing away. "That's very hospitable, what with you being a busy convict and all, but I have several appointments to keep and I really must dash."

She attempted to make her way around him and he pushed her roughly back, so hard that she ran into the head of the table. "Those appointments will have to be canceled." He spread his arms and legs out until he was very literally blocking the entire doorway.

Almost the entire doorway.

"Who are you?" demanded the brown haired man from behind her.

"Me?" she replied cattily, a grin spreading across her face. "I'm outta here." As fast as she could, she ran towards Black and the door. Sirius braced himself for her impact, but at the last moment, she slid down on to the ground, allowing her slippery clothing, the slick floor, and built up momentum to skid right through Sirius's spread legs and out of the room.

Her body slammed into the staircase but she recovered quickly. She vaulted over the railing and sprinted up the steps, taking them two or three at a time. Behind her she heard angry shouting and bodies stumbling after her.

She rushed down the hallway, quickly gaining ground, her long legs pumping furiously. As she sprinted past the rooms, the three teens she had encountered earlier stepped out behind her. All three of them looked very shocked to see her dashing by, the girl even shouting, "What's going on?!"

The thief skidded to a halt and spun around to face them. "Didn't I tell you guys to go to bed?!" she shouted on the spur of the moment, before turning back around to continue her getaway.

At least she WOULD have continued her getaway, but the hallway was now blocked by two young men, both in hastily thrown on sweatpants and nothing else. Their mischevious faces were framed by loose, scraggly red hair, which the thief imagined would look best up in a ponytail. They smiled crookedly.

"What do we have here, George?"

"I'm sure I don't know, Fred. It appears to be an attractive woman in haste."

"How very observant of you."

The first thoughts to scamper through her usually focused mind were _Male. Twins. Cute. Half-clothed. Mmmmmm…_ but she was soon brought back to earth by the sound of approaching footsteps.

"Would you two mind terribly moving out of the way?" she asked, as politely as possible.

The two brothers looked at each other, their grins growing wider. "Well we wouldn't mind _SO_ much-"

"-if you would pay the toll."

She stared suspiciously at them, somehow sensing that they were not to be trusted, but soon abandoned her hesitation when she could clearly hear the angry voices from behind. "Well what's the toll?" she inquired.

The two boys smirked yet again and stepped to either side of the woman. They leaned forward, their intention becoming unmistakably clear to the thief.

Fred and George, being… well, Fred and George… had planned to kiss the alluring lady

-What they hadn't planned on was her ducking down at the last moment.

-And they most certainly hadn't planned on kissing each other.

Once they realized what they had done, they jumped to either side of the hallway, squealing (in rather high-pitched voices) in disgust and wiping their mouths frantically. Now that they had moved out of the middle of the hall, the thief sped off again. Luckily, in their jumping and cursing, they unfortunately managed to trip up the leader of the pursuing posse, thus causing the entire group to trip, stumble, and/or fall face first onto the floor.

Looking back at the melee, the thief chuckled to herself, slowing her sprint to a mere lope. She continued turning down hallways, just to make sure that she had properly evaded her potential captors. Grimmauld Place was a maze of dusty rooms and abandoned corridors; a prime location in which to lose one's vital sense of direction. Occasionally she could hear people looking for her, snippets of conversations, etcetera, but she never saw anyone.

By this time she was ambling along the corridors at a leisurely pace, stopping occasionally to examine several paintings hanging on the walls. She was gazing at one of the afore-mentioned pictures (a rather odd photograph of an upside down pot of flowers) when she turned down a hallway, completely missing the large black dog that stood in front of her.

She noticed it as soon as it growled.

The thief stopped dead in her tracks and stared at the humongous beast with wide eyes. Its white fangs were bared, the fur on its neck bristling warningly.

"Um…nice doggie?"

It gave a low, throaty growl and started to move slowly towards her.

"That's what I thought." She backed up as well, her hands raised defensively.

The fight or flight response kicking in, her body demanded she make a decision. She turned around and ran as fast as she could. However her two legs were no match for the four that pursued her. The animal caught her ankle in its mouth and twisted it, forcing her to spin around. Unfortunately, she resisted the pull for several seconds, building up tension in that area. When she did finally spin and fall to the ground, she could hear the sickening snap and feel the bone grate against bone. The thief was blind with pain and just lay there with her eyes crunched closed in the dingy hallway for several seconds. She felt the dog release her leg hastily and pounce on top of her, making sure she couldn't jump up and escape. She opened her eyes slowly and blinked several times to clear her vision. She found herself looking into the face of Sirius Black.

She blinked several more times. Just for good measure.

Sirius took advantage of her shock and lifted one of his hands from off her shoulders to ruffle through her clothing in an attempt to locate her wand.

"Hey! Watch the hands!"

He ignored her cry and slid the smooth wood out of her pocket. He slipped the wand into his robe and then finally got a good look at the criminal he was holding down. Her body was lean and thin, an aide to a thief, and she was slightly taller than average. Her skin had a pale tinge to it but looked very healthy. Her sea-green eyes were glaring into his smug grey ones. Sirius heard voices approaching.

"I've got her!" he cried. Several exclamations and the sound of hurried footsteps were his reply. He looked back at the thief, smirking satisfactorily.

_Oh how that insolent grin pisses me off…_

"Yeah," she replied, "You've got me." She punctuated this last point by bringing her knee up into his groin. She was quite delighted with the results as the 'notorious' Sirius Black rolled off of her.

At this moment, an entire group of people, including the teenagers, rounded the corner into the hallway. Two men rushed forward to drag the thief back up. She responded to this rough treatment with a string of expletives.

"You bastards! Goddammit, can't you see my bloody leg's broken, Jesus Christ! What the fu-"

The brown haired man stepped forward and flicked his wand. Her lips were stuck tight. As much as she struggled she could even manage to open her mouth. "Please miss," he said politely, "there are children present."

She might not have been able to speak, but her hand was still in perfect working order. This she made clear by flipping up her middle finger. The man simply nodded respectfully to her and then turned back to Sirius who had managed to stand up.

"Did you get her wand?"

Wordlessly, Black tossed him the wand. The man caught it deftly with one hand.

"Now," began the man, turning back to the thief, "If you wouldn't mind accompanying us to the meeting hall?" He undid the spell so the woman could reply.

"I would be delighted."

* * *

A/N: Come on, you know what I want!

_Audience Member1:_ A man?

Well, besides a man.

_Audience Member2_: Another man?

:glare: Can we please get off of my lack of a social life? I want REVIEWS people! Please, I really want to know what you think of my little thief! Was the chase scene any good? GIVE ME WHAT I NEED!

_Audience Member3_: Bring in the man-a-pult!

Your Obedient,

T.F.


	2. Helping Undo

Disclaimer: I still only own my thief. Please don't sue me. I'm making no money. Honestly, I have three dollars to my name.

Author's Note:

It's that time again folks! I really like writing this for y'all, so you know. It's so much fun. I love my little thief! Remember, don't be afraid to review. Anonymous, Signed, one word, fifty, just SHOW ME DA MONEY!

Write m/ On

Adios Amigos,

T.F.

* * *

She was bored.

And in pain.

Mostly bored though.

The thief was sitting on a tall backed wooden chair at the head of a long table in the assembly room, her arms tied around the back of it.

Her ankle had been quickly bandaged and set. She imagined they would actually fix it later, when they weren't so busy arguing and bickering with each other. Her captors were clustered at the far end of the table engaged in yet another heated discussion.

Probably about her.

She glanced around the room lazily, giving a quick yawn. It had been a tiring night.

The children were now apparently allowed in the large hall as they lay scattered throughout it, not very interested in what the "adults" were talking about either.

The twins were sitting up against the wall on a bench to her right. They would glance at each other occasionally and then proceed to conjure up toothpaste and toothbrushes to clean their mouths vigorously.

The group of three, as she was now calling them as they seemed quite inseparable, stood to the left of her in a tight circle. They were whispering to each other, always stopping momentarily to glance up at the thief and then shyly look away.

Several feet away from them was a younger looking girl, obviously a relation to the twins and nervous red-head, kneeling dejectedly over a coffee table, her robes and face stained black. She appeared to be attempting a spell involving a pen. However, every time she finished saying the incantation, the pen would merely float into the air and spray ink at her.

The thief shuffled over to the girl as the pen viciously squirted ink right into the desperate caster's freckled face.

"What are you trying to do then?" inquired the thief, scooting right next to the girl before leaning back and resting from the exhausting journey across the room.

The girl put down her wand with a sigh and delicately plucked a handkerchief, already covered with ebony ooze, off of the table and attempted to clean off her face.

"The Longotta Charm," was the muffled reply.

"Hm?" The thief had been eyeing the girl's wand longingly. Her daydream with it happened to contain turning everyone in the room into flower pots and rushing out the door while laughing manically.

"The Longotta Charm!" repeated the young girl exasperatedly, tossing the handkerchief aside. "The 'undo' spell. I'm trying to get the pen to take itself apart but every time I say 'Reconto Disparit' it squirts ink at me!"

"Well_ of course_ it's squirting ink at you," chuckled the thief, "Those aren't the words to the Longotta Charm at all!"

"Yes they are!" exclaimed the girl, "It says so right here in my textbook."

"Let me take a look-see." The girl pushed the ink spattered notebook towards her, and the thief craned her neck to look at the page.

**The Longotta Charm, more commonly known as the 'undo' spell, was first employed in 1876 when Stregonie Longotta used it too deconstruct a spaghetti dish that she had made incorrectly. **

**The incantation for the charm is 'Re con to Di spari t'.**

The thief looked back up at the girl. "Are you the least bit concerned about the spaces inside the words?"

The girl leaned her head over to see what the woman was referring to. "I thought that was the way it was printed."

"Hm. Yes, well, will you humor me?" The girl nodded eagerly. "Good put the tip of your wand right on the words. That's it. Now say, 'Reveal your secrets' and give the paper a tap."

"Reveal your secrets!" repeated the young girl, and tapped the paper lightly. She lowered her wand and stared at the page intently. Sure enough, letters faded into the empty spaces. The incantation now read: **Resconsto Dinsparient.**

The girl gaped at the words, her jaw dropping slightly. She quickly closed her mouth, her lips forming a tight frown as she glanced over at the twins who appeared to be foaming at the mouth, but really where just brushing their teeth yet again. The thief glanced back at them too, smiling slightly, before shaking herself and nudging the small girl with her elbow.

"Try it now," she suggested.

Cautiously, the girl lifted her wand. "Resconsto Dinsparient!" She gave the pen a forceful tap and then turned away, waiting to get drenched once more. When the expected jet did not come, she twisted back towards the pen. It hovered lethargically in the air for several seconds before gracefully taking itself to pieces. The girl smiled brightly at the pen parts before turning back to the thief, who was smiling at the excited teen indulgently.

"Told ya."

"Excuse me." The thief bent herself around the chair at the sound of the voice, trying to identify who was speaking.

Sirius had his hands thrown up in exasperation.

"Just what, pray tell, do you think you are doing?"

"Oh nothing much," she shouted back, "Just manipulating this ill-fated young lady to do my bidding, so she will tie you all to your chairs and cram waffles down your throats." The thief turned back to the young girl, "I don't care much for waffles, do you?"

Without warning, the chair, with the thief as its unlucky passenger, slid violently back over to the table, snapping her neck painfully to one side. Once it stopped at the head of the table, she rolled her neck experimentally to determine if it was still of any use.

"If I were in your position," cautioned Sirius, keeping his wand raised in a threatening manner, "I would make an effort to be a little more polite."

The thief stopped abruptly. _"Polite?"_ She looked up at him in irritated disbelief. "You. BIT. Me. I think we've gone far beyond any niceties, don't you?"

"I wouldn't have bit you if you hadn't run!"

"I wouldn't have run if you hadn't chased me!"

They were leaning into each other's faces now, their respective volumes rising with each bout.

"You were in MY HOUSE!"

"Oh, so _you're_ the owner of this wretched abode! Let me clue you in on a few things. One, home repair is the latest craze. Two, this place is about as inviting as a crypt and three…have you ever heard of a little thing called DUSTING!"

Sirius's not so gentlemanly reply was cut short by Remus, who dragged him back.

"Sirius, calm down. We don't know anything about her, or her possible motives. Now-"

"What! She's a thief and-"

"Did she actually try to steal anything?" asked the purple haired lady, whose name the thief had overheard as Tonks.

"She tried to steal my cloak," volunteered Harry, glaring at the thief vehemently.

"I did not!" exclaimed the thief. "I was merely borrowing it. I was going to leave it on the front door knob with a small thank you note."

"Really," nodded Sirius, sarcasm dripping off of every syllable, "Since you seem to have all the answers, perhaps you wouldn't mind telling me what a Death Eater spy was doing in my house."

The thief was about to reply, something scathing about coming to see if he was really as horribly ugly as everyone says he is, when what he said sunk in. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold the horses at the gate. Don't let the cat out of the bag quite yet, let's rewind; 'Death Eater spy'?" She looked around at the circle of anxious, none to friendly faces. "What the hell are you talking about? I don't know who you people are, what you're doing, and I don't care. I'm a thief; a damn good one at that. I'm not some kind of stooge."

"Why don't you start with telling us your name?" suggested Remus calmly.

* * *

A/N: It's amazing, isn't it? I've gone through two chapters of a story without telling you the main characters name. You know why?

_Audience Member1:_ To heighten our curiosity about her?

Uh, no. I can't claim to be that clever. Actually, it's because I can't think of a good name for her. Therefore, I know christen the NAME THE THIEF contest. I'll announce the winner in my next chapter.

Your Obedient,

T.F.


	3. The Loose Thread

Disclaimer: Okay, now I must say that I do not own Remus, Sirius, and the assorted members of the Order. I also do not own pretty haired man +cough LUCIUS cough+ However, the thief and Mr. Massy are mine…teeheehee

Author's Note:

I'm back! Scatter in fear petty mortals +readers look at her strangely+ Or not…that's good too. Well, I but you guys are just _dieing _to read this chappie as … you will FINALLY … get to know the name of the main character.

Read, Review, Enjoy – Three Steps to Happiness

Your Obedient Servant,

T.F.

* * *

_"Why don't you start with telling us your name?" suggested Remus calmly._

The thief seriously considered this option for several seconds, before heaving a long sigh. "Alright, alright," she conceded, adjusting herself in her chair and wincing slightly as she moved her leg. "Hello. Allow me to introduce myself, my name is-"

"Adrienne Stone. I know you recognize the name, so please, give me an answer before I'm forced to kill you."

(6)(6)(6)(6)(6)(6)

Lucius Malfoy's wand was placed precariously at the throat of a bar tender, who had decided almost as soon as Lucius entered his back room, that bar tendering was certainly not the proper career for him and that he might try teaching instead.

"I swear, mate, I ain't ne'er 'eard of any Adrienne Stone. She 'asn't come to this pub anyway. Now if I 'aven't 'eard of 'er, 'ow do you suppose I'll know where to find 'er?"

Lucius gave a long, painful sigh and began digging his wand slowly into the sensitive flesh of the man. "Mr. Massy, I'm tired. I haven't been home in a very long time and it doesn't look like I'll get to return any time in the near future. Now if you continue to deny you're knowledge of Adrienne Stone I'm going to start to get annoyed and unhappy."

Suddenly, Mr. Massy realized that all he wanted to do was keep Lucius Malfoy happy. In fact, he wanted to make Lucius Malfoy so happy that he would leave and never see Reggie Massy, bar tender of the Broke Irishman ever again, while either of them where alive and preferably after that as well.

"I think it's coming back to me. Adrienne Stone you said?" Lucius nodded wordlessly. "Right, yeah, she comes in 'ere now and again. Think she mentioned living down on Cutthroat Alley."

Lucius began to smile before stopping and re-examining Mr. Massy. "Are you sure you're telling me the truth, Mr. Massy?"

"Oh, absolutely. I swear on the hand of my wife."

Lucius looked down at Reggie's hands. "You're not married, Mr. Massy."

Reggie gave a nervous smile, hoping to live past this night. Lucius watched him awhile before lowering his wand and walking away. Massy allowed air to enter back into his lungs, turning around to collapse into a chair.

"Mr. Massy?"

"Yeah?" Reggie turned to face Lucius once more. The last thing he saw was a flash of green light. Through the roar of death he managed to hear the two whispered words 'Avada Kedavra'.

(6)(6)(6)(6)(6)(6)

"- Adrienne Gabrielle Stone," stated the thief, "I am not, despite current public opinion, a Death Eater of any sort. I am a larcenist. I have the feeling that certain parties will need that word defined." Adrienne sneered pointedly at Sirius, who sneered back, "In simple English that means I like to steal shiny, expensive things and make an enormous amount of money off of them. I pray that will suffice," she added, nodding her head to Remus.

"So you admit it!" said a red-haired woman near the other end of the table. "You're nothing more than a common thief."

"Certainly not, mum!" By the look on Adrienne's face it was clear how deeply she had just been slandered, "Nothing common about what I do mum! No one is as good as me! No one in the northern hemisphere at least. I've pulled all sorts of jobs in all sorts of places, muggle and wizard alike. Why, there isn't a lock I can't pick or a spell I can't undo."

"Speaking of that," chirped Tonks, "How did you get in here?"

Adrienne saw a bargaining tool and her chance of getting out of this freak house. "Let me loose, and I'll send you a lovely postcard from some province in China telling you all about it."

Sirius gave a cold laugh and walked over from where he had been sulking in the corner. He leaned into her face, saying coldly and deliberately: "Not. Bloody. Likely."

However, Adrienne's face stayed cheery, her smirk widening even. "Never say never, dearie. You'll end up with egg all over that ugly face of yours."

Sirius did not reply but languidly conjured up an egg that flew right into Adrienne's face.

The children tried desperately to suppress a few chuckles while Adrienne merely reached up with her suddenly free hands and wiped the egg off calmly.

"Very nice," she commented, not even looking back up at Sirius, "But I prefer mine over easy."

This time the teenagers couldn't keep in their laughter and began giggling. Remus looked at the thief strangely before taking her hand in his and waving it about experimentally.

"What?" asked Adrienne, carefully extracting her hand from his grasp.

"How did you, uh, get loose?" he inquired politely, trying to keep the potentially dangerous women calm so she would not be tempted to run.

Adrienne merely glanced up at him condescendingly. "Please. Rope? Give me more of a challenge next time, alright chum?"

"It's Remus. Remus Lupin, pleasure."

Adrienne took his outstretched hand slowly, wary of the sudden civility being shown to her.

"Now, Ms. Stone, I believe the thing we all really want to know," pressed Remus diplomatically, "Is how you managed to gain entry into this house. You would only be helping us, I assure you by…illuminating some of our weaker points."

Adrienne listened to his words carefully, attempting to decipher his meaning. What she got out of it was this:

_They want to know how I got in. They are asking me for my advice. They consider me important. I alone have done this. I am amazing._

With this perceived understanding, she swelled up with pride and began quietly lecturing the attentive group.

"Well, honestly, I have to say that, on a whole, your security is bloody good. Best challenge I've had in years I'd say. I mean that shrinking curse and those memory charms…top of the line there. How many people did you put behind those?"

"I'd say about…two to three hundred," Remus replied off-handedly. Adrienne's response was a low whistle, before continuing.

"Right well…tell me, do any of you know much about wizard thievery?"

The collected group shook their heads shyly.

"Unfortunately, not very surprising. It's those schools now-a-days, never teach anything useful. Right, well, some people are under the impression that all us thieves do is use 'Finite Incantatem' to get through all the protection spells and such. But anyone will tell you that, against most spells, 'Finite Incantatem' is completely and utterly useless. The real trick to undoing spells is…"

Adrienne sat struggling with the words for several seconds. She was not in the habit of teaching people and wasn't sure how to go about. Finally, she settled for a metaphor.

"Look, whenever you cast a spell, or recite an incantation, or do any kind of magic in fact, you make an invisible tapestry; an invisible blanket if you will, that surrounds what you magic-ed. What we thieves do is find the weak spot of the spell and turn it against itself, or disable it enough that we can work around it."

"But how did you get past our Fidelius Charm?" pushed Sirius, impatient. The rest of the group nodded in accordance to this question. Adrienne face broke into a self satisfied smile.

"That is where we come to my brilliance." She leaned forward eagerly, busting with delight. "Till about two years ago, no one, scholar and thief alike, could figure out how to break that blasted thing. The main sticking point was the binding to the soul. Now, souls are very tricky things. Flighty little buggers. No one knows how they work, obviously, so no one knows how to bypass the charm."

At this point, Adrienne slid back in her chair comfortably, a smug smirk gracing her lips.

"Except me."

Sirius had sat down in a chair opposite to the thief, his head down in his hands. "If you don't tell us how you got in here soon," he muttered with annoyance, "I'm going to beat it out of you myself."

"Patience is a virtue, Mr. Black," chided Adrienne, but she did rush on to the rest of the tale. "I had been studying this for two years now. It was the only challenge left for me then and I knew I was going to be the one to figure it out. Two years and then," she banged her hands on the table loudly, making everyone jump back into their chairs. "It hit me."

She leaned forward again, trying to instill a sense of secrecy into the moment. "You all have to promise me not to reveal this to anyone else. I'm the only one who ever managed it you see."

Sirius growled dangerously, bringing the thief back to task.

"The only element that is flawed, that can possibly ruin the integrity of the charm, was the human element. The human species are a flawed collection. We make mistakes. All a secret keeper had to do was tell the confidential information to someone and, poof, that would be it. The entire tapestry would unravel so to speak. So," she continued matter-of-factly, "after that, all I had to do was move the possibility of revealing the secret into my own, self-created reality and pull on that loose piece of magic. Thus, for a span of about three, five minutes, the secret had in some form of reality, been told to _me_; the charm is gone, and I can get in."

Adrienne once again sat back in her chair with a satisfied sigh. "It's really brilliantly simple when you think about it."

The Order members followed suit, all leaning back in their seats, quietly marveling at how their one safety net had been whipped away as they were falling.

Adrienne looked around at the suddenly somber group. She sensed that she had just shattered what little security they had thought they had.

She almost felt sorry for them.

Almost.

A man's voice brought them all, the thief included, out of their reverie. The red-haired man confirmed Adrienne's suspicion that all the fiery head children had jumped out of the same gene pool.

"Have you…told anyone else about this?"

Adrienne stood and stretched a little, wincing at her leg. "Would you mind being a little more specific, sir?"

"That is…have you told anyone else about how to…" the man waved his hand about with frustration, not able to find the right words.

"How to break the Fidelius Charm?" Adrienne supplied, nonchalantly picking up her wand that rested on the table. "Heavens no. Hand over _my_ major advantage to my sods of stealing brethren?' She bent down, resting the wand against the break in her leg and healing it.

The Order gave a collective sigh, grateful for the knowledge that the only person who knew how to invade their sanctuary was safely within it. Then slowly, the realization came to them…they'd have to keep her here.

"Now…" a voice permeated through the room, a succinct, cold edge ringing through it. The Order turned and what they saw mad their hearts sink. Adrienne stood at the front of the room, wand in hand, moving slowly towards the door.

"Glad to have met you," she continued, her eyes darting from face to face, "Even under these strange and unfortunate circumstances. Sorry to have troubled you all."

Her sinuous fingers brushed against the brass door handle. Instead of relaxing, she felt herself tense up even more.

The men of the order were advancing slowly on her, acting as if she was some kind of insane murderer. Her normally deft digits fumbled at the lock.

"Ms. Stone," Remus pleaded, his eyes focused on the wand, "You have to understand: If you leave this house, you are putting not only the order, but yourself in very real danger."

He watched as her eyes found his. He saw that flicker of uncertainty and the slight lowering of her wand.

The thief sighed deeply. "Listen…if I met you on the street and you asked me…I'd probably say yes. But you people are talking about some serious things that I'd rather not be involved in."

Remus returned her sigh saying, "Believe me, Adrienne…we all feel the same way."

Her hand clenched and unclenched the door handle, her physicality revealing her mental anxiety.

Sirius was just as tense, watching for an attack signal, a false move, anything.

_Just give me a chance…_

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A/N: WHOOP! You've finally found out her name and +in deep announcer voice+ **the plot thickens!** I'm really interested in knowing how my technical magic thing went over. Could you understand it or no? 

T.F.


	4. Sympathy for the Devil

DISCLAIMER: JK Rowling, please don't sue me. I am but a humble fan girl, who finally has a job, and would like to keep her hard earned money. I fully recognize that Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and the rest of the happy people at #12 Grimmauld Place do not belong to me. However, Adrienne does, so please, don't kidnap her. She doesn't travel well…

A/N: I have read the seventh, final book as much as the world has, and never fear, there shall be no spoilers here. I'm gonna continue on the way I wanted to originally, so, just a reminder, set after 5th book, AU.

Two years…wow…

Well, if anyone still wants to read it, here it is!!

Your Obedient,

T.F.

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_Just give me a chance…_

Adrienne's eyes moved from face to desperate face. She should run. She should run fast and hard and never look back. She could get a train out of the city and a boat off the island and be half way to New Zealand in a matter of days, maybe weeks.

She should run.

And she knew she wouldn't.

Adrienne sighed heavily, her lips creasing into a thin, firm line. She took one last glance around the room before throwing her arm away from her, making to toss down her wand.

Unfortunately Sirius Black didn't give her a chance. Practically as soon as her arm made its move he rushed towards her, effectively slamming her against the door and dislodging the wand from her grip. Adrienne responded to this rough treatment the way she had been taught; she brought her knee up into his stomach, pushing him away slightly before backhanding him swiftly across the face with more force than Sirius thought the slight woman had. He threw himself back towards her and managed to get one of Adrienne's arm behind her back and his arm around her throat.

The force of irony must have been at work just then; it was the only thing that would have enabled Adrienne to wiggle free herself just enough to bite down hard on Sirius' arm; so hard in fact that she tasted the iron of his blood.

Sirius muffled his cry of pain in an angry grunt before flinging the thief forcefully back, letting her slide against the wall, her head hitting the old wood with a sickening crack. Her eyes fluttered for a moment and her mouth struggled to form a word.

"…ahhhhhh…hell…"

Her legs finally failed her and she dropped onto the floor.

The next sensation Adrienne's brain perceived was smooth cotton sheets under her fingertips. Her eyes opened slowly. They were mere slits of color, blocking out everything but a gentle yellow glow. A cool drop of liquid rolled down the side of her face, pausing momentarily at her jaw before dropping onto her collarbone. It was the same effect as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water on her head. She jolted herself into full consciousness, convulsing slightly. Pastel oculi were, for a moment, wide with fear as they sought to establish her surroundings.

The room was surprisingly large, but bare. Directly in front of her, pushed against a wall, stood an antique dresser with mirror, the glass cracked and dotted with dirt. Seeing herself in the mirror, lying there, pale and shaky, was the equivalent of a sobering slap across the face for Adrienne. With a grimace, she rotated her head gently from side to side assiduously, relieved to find no resistance. Anger flared up deep in her heart when she considered her circumstance. Forced to stay locked up in this miserable shack with those execrable loonies. With a growl she tore the wet cloth from her forehead, tossing it on the floor.

Leaping out of the small berth, Adrienne rushed for the door. Out in the hallway, she immediately found Sirius Black and set upon him, viciously beating him rutting senseless before stealing her wand back, blasting a hole through a nearby wall and running determinedly towards her flat.

At least those were her intentions.

Adrienne had had it all thought out, really. She just hadn't counted on that whole 'sitting up and fainting' thing that happened.

And it was such a good plan too.

She regained consciousness about half an hour later, in fairly similar circumstances as her previous awakening. Adrienne debated the necessity of even opening her eyes this time when she perceived the slight alteration that had occurred during her mental absence.

The cloth that had been resting on her brow was now dabbing itself gently across her forehead.

Adrienne examined this last thought carefully and revised it.

Someone was now dabbing the cloth gently across her forehead.

Eyes remaining shut, Adrienne levitated a hand lazily. She made a few weak swipes at the hand, which had stopped its ministrations. She got a hold of it, running her hand up to a shoulder (whoever it was must have found a chair to sit down in). A humorous noise of protest rang out when she wrapped her hand around the persons face and squeezed.

Adrienne opened her eyes to find Remus Lupin sitting at her bedside, cloth in hand, his cheeks and lips puffed out comically.

"Oh." Adrienne released him quickly. "It's just you."

"Yes, just me." Remus sat back in his chair, observing her quietly. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been assaulted by a brainless, grotesque gorilla that proceeded to carelessly crack my skull like a coconut. Which, in point of fact," she very slowly and very carefully pushed herself into a semi-recumbent position, "is exactly what happened."

Remus clapped softly, the damp cloth deadening the sound. "Double points for alliteration."

"Why thank you." Adrienne folded her hands genteelly across her lap. "How long was I out?"

"About twelve hours. It's just a little past 2 in the afternoon." He gestured towards a covered tray on a bedside table to his left. "I brought you some lunch."

"Why thank you," she repeated with the same sweet, cold intonation. Remus prepared for the coming emotional outburst. Adrienne hadn't even blinked since she had established her calm pose. Remus could recognize an impending rant when he saw one. Sirius did almost exactly the same thing.

"Complimentary care, meals served in bed-" she sniffed the air discerningly, "-soup?"

"Stew."

"Fantastic. Girl might even forget she's being kept like a wild animal in a," Adrienne paused to pick off a piece of lint off the bedspread and toss it away, "fetid, disgusting house, if you can call **this...**_**this**_ _**wigwam**_ a house!! Locked up like a demented **miscreant** with, oh, _a secret cult taking on the most __**powerful magus**__ever known__ to the wizarding world_!!"

The color had returned to her face with shocking fervency as she demonstrated that nothing was wrong with her vocal cords as she shouted each vocable, pounding on the mattress with fists gripping the covers. Remus leaned back and waited for the waves to subside. The room was silent except for the heavy breathing of Adrienne's cooling temper.

"…wigwam?"

Adrienne went from rigid to malleable, her shoulders collapsing inwards as she responded mirthlessly, "Well, they can't be gems every time." Remus smiled, but Adrienne didn't notice. Her eyes glazed over as she stared at the burnt sienna bed sheets that reminded her too much of a childhood better forgotten. "I'm not gonna get my wand back am I?"

"No."

"Do I get to go outside at all?"

Remus leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees, shaking light cinnamon tresses out of his eyes, "Not without a member of the order accompanying you, and then…only in the most extreme circumstances."

Adrienne took a deep breath that was a little shakier than she'd have liked to admit. "How…how long do I have to stay here?"

Remus shifted uncomfortably, leaning in as his voice inadvertently dropped in volume. "I…we can't exactly-"

Her long fingers shook like willow branches when she held up her hand. Head hanging low, she turned to look at him, jade eyes wide with a mixture of fear and anger, lips pressed together tightly. "Just…tell me. How long?"

Remus met her gaze, his demeanor of calm wavering slightly. "Maybe a year. Maybe longer."

Her body shook once as she laughed and sobbed at the same time. "Great." She tossed the covers off of her body, swinging her feet onto the floor. "Great, good, wonderful, fan-_bloody_**fucking**-tastic!" She made her way over to the grubby window, only to find that it was enchanted to show only a deep swirling black. Adrienne continued talking to herself, rubbing her hands feverishly over her face. "Ha, yes. Good one, Addie, good one. Smart thinking there." She gulped in air as if she was drowning, closing her eyes slowly. She said nothing for a long time; so long in fact that Remus was certain she had forgotten he was even there. He rose to leave, when she spoke.

"You know, there's this old homeless lady near where I live…" her voice was soft and strained, as if she had suddenly aged forty years. "Gussy, everyone calls her. She always says to me, every time I go out on a job, 'Addie…Addie you're a fool. You keep on going where you're not wanted, one day you'll never come back.'" A saturnine giggle escaped from her small mouth. "Guess I proved the old bat right," she turned to him, a hand up to her mouth, "didn't I?"

The tears welled up unwanted into her eyes. Closing them in hopes of staving off the drops of salt and water, she felt a hand grasp her shoulder lightly. "You should eat something."

"I'm not hungry."

"Miss St-…Adrienne, I really think-"

The eyes snapped open, dry as the Gobi Desert. "Listen…Remus, right?" He nodded. "Listen, Remus…I, uh, _appreciate_-" Adrienne stopped, blinking rapidly. "Actually, I don't really appreciate anything right now, so maybe you should just leave me alone. Please," she rushed in, seeing his mouth open, full of reassuring words, "leave me alone."

Brushing his hand from her shoulder, she shuffled back towards the bed, sitting cross-legged with her back to the door, rubbing her arms, suddenly cold. Remus left as quietly as he came in, glancing back momentarily through the crack of the door, sighing before closing the portal firmly.

"So, how's our resident larcenist? Still as malevolent and mediocre as last night?"

Remus' eyes searched the heavens, as they often did when talking to Sirius. "You know, the phrase 'Sod off' springs so willingly to mind, I'm tempted to use it."

"Hey," Sirius pushed away from the wall he had been leaning against, "what'd I say?" He froze as a thought leaped upon him. "Oh ho, now wait a minute." He grasped Remus firmly by the shoulders, holding him out at arms length. "Don't tell me you actually _like_ the little purse snatcher!"

Remus tried to appear stern, but the look of utter horror currently creeping over Sirius' features was too comical. "Sirius-"

"You **do**." Sirius leaned against the wall behind him for moral support, a hand going up to his chest. "Why, my dear Remus, why?! She's a criminal!"

"Said the fugitive from Azkaban with distaste." Remus adopted his posture on the wall opposite, a few feet away from the door, folding his arms across his chest.

"Steady on, mate! _I_ didn't commit the crime I'm accused of. On the other hand…" Sirius left the explanation unsaid, but clear.

"Yes," conceded Remus with a nod, "she's a thief. But I ask you to remember that she didn't sign on for any of this. She's been put in a deplorable situation, one, quite frankly, that doesn't sit particularly well with me either."

"Awww," Sirius crooned, with exaggerated sniffs and tears, "let us pity the whore with a heart of gold." Remus did not respond, choosing instead to stare at him disapprovingly. The look, as effective now as it was during their school days, caused Sirius to shift uncomfortably, lowering his chin to his chest before grumbling, "You might show a little compassion for me. Setting her up just down the hall from my room. Horrible. And," he looked up with a pout, raising a bandaged arm pitifully, "…she bit me."

Remus glanced from the injured appendage to the trembling lip of a grown man and, just as Sirius had intended, began to laugh. Sirius returned the smile, laughing lightly himself.

The door Remus was lounging beside suddenly opened up and a head popped out at about shoulder level. Remus jumped, hardly recognizing Adrienne, who had released her umber tresses which now hung doggedly around her face.

"Excuse me," she snapped astringently, "but there _are_ some people attempting to spiral down into a state of suicidal depression. Would you two mind terribly buggering off somewhere else?"

"Why don't you bore a hole in yourself and let the sap run out?" suggested Sirius in a similar tone, ashen eyes displaying his dislike.

Adrienne emitted something that was a cross between a sigh and a growl before saying, "I'm rather busy right now. Can I ignore you some other time?" The door slammed with a shout of "Jog on wankers!"

Both men stared at the door.

"Oh yes," said Sirius stolidly, "charming girl."

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A/N: Alright, so there you have it! I have a definite plan of what's gonna happen next, so it shouldn't take so long to update. (Two years…WOW!) Anyhoodle, hope you enjoyed it, and even if you didn't, telling me through a review, anonymous or otherwise would be much appreciated.

TTFN!

Your Obedient,

T.F.


	5. Clean Slate

**A/N: Do I even need to say it? That it's been eons since this fic has been updated? I don't think so. Good Lord, how can I apologize? Thank you all for the kind comments, the ones from before and the ones that kept coming after I had abandoned the fanficiton world for a short spell. I hope you'll be so kind as to forgive me and give this latest addition a read through and a review!**

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Three days passed Adrienne by with little definition. She was refining brooding to an art. She sat, motionless on her bed and let that hollow feeling that had wormed its way into her stomach grow bigger and bigger and bigger until her whole soul felt like a squeezed out tube of toothpaste, wrung out till the last drop. When she wasn't sitting, she was sleeping. Adrienne had found it more bearable if she kept the lamps extinguished, unable to see more than a few feet around her bower. She drifted in and out for awhile, lost on her own open sea. Someone kept bringing in food. She ate what she had to and allowed the rest to vanish the same way it came, vanish away into the non-space she willed her mind to go every night.

It was in the midst of one of these depressive meditations that the young red-head girl opened the door and slipped inside, closing it quickly and silently behind her. Adrienne, her back to the door, craned her head over her shoulder. An eyebrow disappeared into her unruly dark brown bangs.

"Hello."

The girl stepped slightly away from the door with a quiet "Hello". Adrienne watched as she carefully crept nearer to the bed, her brown eyes watching intently for signs of displeasure on Adrienne's face. The thief sighed and turned away. She sat crossed legged on the bed, staring out into the blackness of the non-window.

"It's Adrienne, right?"

She tried to bite back a sigh. Yep. The sweet thing was going to try and start a conversation.

"Yep."

There was another brief breakdown in communications.

"My name's Ginny."

Adrienne turned suddenly, shaking the hair out of her face violently, giving the young lady her full attention. "You're really going to try this, aren't you? I mean, you're determined, truly."

Ginny appeared slightly taken aback, but more on balance than Adrienne would've expected. "Excuse me?"

"Try to have a conversation with me? Set up a report, get to know me, begin a relationship – with the dangerous, unstable, powerful, very possibly evil and untrustworthy thief?" She smiled, her thin lips taking on a strange appearance of sharpness around the edges. "I can't believe your elders have approved this move."

"They haven't." Ginny perched herself lightly on the very edge of the bed, back tense and fingers digging into the rumpled sheets. "They keep telling us to stay away from you. That you can't be trusted, that you'll try to use us to get out."

Adrienne perked up slightly at the last phrase, reaching one hand up to push her hair behind her ear as her jaw hung open loosely. "What? What do they think; I'm going to start taking children as human hostages?"

Ginny shrugged noncommittally, but the pained grimace on her face was a clear enough answer. Letting loose a dramatic scoff, Adrienne flung herself backwards onto the bed, sprawling out across the mattress. "Wonderful! The people I'm going to be stuck with for a year think I'm some sort of monster. Ah, this keeps getting better and better!"

The young girls face swam into focus above her as she leaned in. "I don't think you're a monster."

It was a simple enough phrase and coming from a teenager who had known her for all of fifteen minutes, it was little comfort.

Adrienne smiled softly, bringing her arms back under her head. A little comfort was just enough at the moment. "Thank you, Ginny."

There was a silent pause between them. Ginny's nose wrinkled up and she sat back suddenly. "Of course, that's not to say you couldn't use a shower…"

"Oh, right!" Adrienne pulled herself up sharply, scooting as far away from her guest as possible, actually blushing. "I'm _so_ sorry about that, yeah, um…" She bit her lip as she brought her knees up to her chin, hugging them tightly to herself. "To be perfectly honest, I've been too shy to ask anyone where they might be. I found the water closet in the middle of the night, but the baths and showers elude me somewhat."

Ginny smiled brightly, jumping up with an unusually perky bounce, her long skirt flouncing out around her. "I can show you if you'd like! Get you set up with some towels and a robe and the like!" She was at the door before Adrienne could answer. Swallowing down her nervousness and misgivings in one huge gulp, she had little choice but to follow her young companion out into the hallway, blind to what sort of life would be waiting for her out there in Grimmauld Place.


	6. Washing in Muddy Water

**A/N: Would you look at that? Two consistent updates for this fic? Can it be true? ;-) Or am I the only one that's excited about this? Probably just me. This chapter's shorter than my usual, but it felt like a good place to stop so I didn't want to push it too much farther. ****Thanks to everyone who gave some feedback on the last chapter – in whatever shape or form, it is very, very much appreciated! It's so nice to know that there are folks like y'all out there in the world :-) Read, review, and above all enjoy!**

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The shower felt ridiculously good. Adrienne had never been the high maintenance type, but she spent close to an hour under the warm water, rubbing the grime and oil off her skin. In those forty-five minutes she'd even managed to start thinking positive. These political tensions wouldn't last forever – she'd get out of this place eventually. Besides, she _had_ been looking forward to a vacation. Grimmauld Place lacked the beach and cabaña boys she had been envisioning, but at least it was a break from the larceny business.

And if the events of the previous evening had taught her anything, it was that a break was just what she needed. Getting pinched so easily – it was embarrassing. She was trying not to think about it.

She stepped out of the shower and, after combing and braiding her hair, she tried on the clothes Ginny had found for her. As stunning and sexy as Adrienne was sure she looked in skin tight black spandex, it wasn't an outfit you wanted to make a good second impression in. Especially after wearing it for three days straight.

The clothes fit her style – casual but classy – and they were comfortable and most importantly they were clean. Ginny had mentioned borrowing them from some woman named Tonks, and while Adrienne couldn't put a face to the name, she could tell that the woman was a little bit smaller than her in almost every way. The t-shirt didn't quite cover up her stomach and the pants were a tad tighter than she would've liked.

Under the circumstances, however, they were lovely.

Examining herself closely in the mirror, wincing at the bags under her eyes, Adrienne jumped when she heard the knock on the door.

"Adrienne? You dressed?"

Adrienne turned round, leaning back against the grey marble countertop that sat under the mirror. "Yeah, come on in, Ginny."

The young woman poked her head around the door hesitantly, smiling slightly when she saw Adrienne standing in front of her. "The clothes fit you! I'm so relieved; I thought I might have to borrow some from my mum."

Adrienne returned the smile, if only half-heartedly. She looked down at herself, picking at the clothes with one hand. "Yes, well…thank you for all this."

Ginny slipped into the room, leaning back against the doorframe. "No need to thank me. The way I see it, you're a guest here now. There's no reason we shouldn't make you feel at home."

Adrienne stared at her for a few seconds, without realizing she was doing it at first. Finally she shook her green eyes unstuck, leaning against the counter with one hand. "You know, you're a little bit odd. It's off-putting and yet strangely endearing."

The girl's smile only widened. "If you think I'm odd, wait until you meet the rest of the family. Come on: I'll take you on the grand tour."


	7. A Second Impression

**A/N**: **I bet y'all thought I wasn't gonna update, huh? Huh? Well you were WRONG, booyah! I told you, I am committed to this fic now, and I really wanna see it through. Of course, with school getting started again, the updates will probably be less frequent, as you've already seen, so an FYI on that. But don't let your hearts be troubled! Adrienne Stone shall not be abandoned. Thanks again to everyone who left me feedback on the last chapters, in whatever shape or form. It is so very much appreciated! Please feel free to leave me any comments, criticisms, or accolades, I love hearing from my readers!**

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Grimmauld Place was large, drab, and woefully in need of a month long cleaning epidemic. Ginny trouped Adrienne past countless rooms stacked high with indistinguishable clutter of one kind or another, each with a stronger smell of mold and moth balls then the next. Adrienne tried a couple times to actually identify the contents of these indoor mausoleums, but once her eyes had successfully identified a stuffed black cat and a vial of perpetually boiling dragon tears mixed with basilisk mucus she decided quickly that she didn't really need to know.

One thing was becoming clear. She had been correct in her initial assessment: there was nothing in here worth stealing.

Excepting information of course; which was not the kind of treasure she handled out generally.

Adrienne gradually deduced that the only part of the house that was in regular use was the first three or four floors. The rest of it lay untouched, except for the hallways themselves which, she noted with a grimace, all looked the same.

"Do you…live here?" Adrienne was careful to modulate the disgust out of her voice before she finished the question, eyeing the girl beside her suspiciously.

"Not usually." Ginny flipped her hands out when she talked, making circles with them in the air. "We more like…visit? Extended visits. The Order's become family practically."

"Sirius Black is family?" Some of her personal feelings must have snuck through to her voice. Ginny looked up at her immediately, her eyes wide with concern.

"He's really not what you think, I swear. He's a good man, he'd never hurt anybody –" Adrienne stopped in her tracks, throwing her arms across her chest and glaring back at her young companion. At first Ginny looked confused, but several pointed head jerks from Adrienne down to her now healed leg finally got the message through. Ginny's self-assured tone faltered. "Well, he wouldn't hurt anybody who he thought was innocent…ish." She gave up, throwing her hands up into the air as she turned away, shaking her head from side to side. "You really should've met him under better circumstances."

"I'll try to remember that," muttered Adrienne, her hands shoving themselves forcefully into her pockets, as she followed Ginny's steps doggedly. "You really don't mind living in the same house as a convicted murderer though? Honestly?"

"He didn't do it, you know."

Under normal circumstances, Adrienne would've pushed the subject with a sarcastic comment and a grin a foot wide, but there was a matter-of-factness in the young woman's tone that, for once, struck her as the absolute truth.

To someone in her profession, it was a bit of a shock really. One didn't come across things like truth, loyalty, or indeed, belief in general, the circles she traveled in.

"Right. Okay."

It was all she could muster.

"He's Harry's godfather you know."

"Really?" It sounded like a polite inquiry. Adrienne kept the rest of her thought, which had been along the lines of 'Really? Someone let that animal within fifty feet of a child? Astonishing. Like putting a dingo in a nursery', to herself. "Well, well. Now, who exactly is Harry again?"

Ginny shot her an incredulous look, her nose wrinkling up ever so slightly. "Harry? Are you serious? He's –" They had just stepped onto the second floor landing when the group of three she had walked in several nights before appeared in front of them, ostensibly heading up towards their rooms. "Oh!" Adrienne pretended not to notice the color that came to Ginny's cheek at their appearance, filing it away for consideration later. "Well, he's right here!" Ginny turned so her back was against the wall, leaving Adrienne and the raven haired boy facing each other. "Harry this is Adrienne. Adrienne this is Harry Potter."

Her hand was already half-way extended before the introduction really sank in. Her eyes widened slightly, but she was quick to suppress any other outwards signs of her shock, aside from a faint, "Oh!" Adrienne quickly adopted what she hoped was a friendly half smile, letting loose the slightest shock of nervous laughter as she did. "Well, that would be why you looked so familiar then. And it had been bothering me so."

Harry took her hand lightly, so much so that she could barely feel his skin against hers. "Hello."

The red-haired boy of the group stepped forward slightly, his eyes glaring in Ginny's direction pointedly. "Gin, what are you _doing_ up here? Mum's been looking for you for ages!"

"She was just being a complete dear and showing me around." Adrienne cut in smoothly, stepping ever so slightly into the lad's line of sight, correctly identifying his annoyance as partially her fault. "Adrienne Stone." Her hand shot out much more confidently this time, head lowered ever so slightly so she could look him in the eyes as she queried, "You are?"

He pulled his arms tightly across his chest, trapping them beneath each arm as he glowered. "What's it to you anyway?"

Adrienne couldn't say she was taken aback. In fact, she had been rather surprised that Harry had offered her even the cold welcome he had. Ginny, however, seemed determined to be offended.

"Ron!" Ginny practically pushed her way around her older companion, forcing her brother to step down a step as she berated him. "How could you be so rude?" The fired up red head spun round to Adrienne for a moment, hands held up in supplication. "Adrienne, I am so sorry for my brother, he's acting like a child." Adrienne didn't have time to explain that she really didn't mind before Ginny turned back to her brother, shining brown eyes flashing. "Adrienne's our guest now, what would mum say if she saw you acting like that?"

"What would she say if she saw you chumming around with her?" His voice hit a whiny pitch at the end of the reprimand, jabbing his finger up at Adrienne, who responded with a wavering, thin smile. "She told you to stay away from her, she's a criminal!"

"Actually," Adrienne piped cheerily from the background, "I've never been convicted of anything, so that's 'alleged criminal', if you don't mind."

"Why should we trust anything you say?" That came from the perky brunette on the steps just below them, her arms crossed tight across her chest as she leaned against the railing, eyes staring up into Adrienne's with stern judgment.

"Well, at this juncture, lying would be pretty superfluous, don't you think?" countered Adrienne, spreading her hands wide in front of her. "I mean, I'm stuck with you people for the foreseeable future. It's in my best interest to make nice, yeah? And part of making nice is making with the honesty." In an unanticipated move, Adrienne swung her attention neatly back to Harry, the force of her sea foam green eyes boring into his with off-putting sincerity pushing him down a step. "On the note of honesty, I honestly _wasn't _going to steal your cloak you know. I have a strict policy when it comes to stealing from minors, i.e. I don't do it. Do you believe me?"

Harry shrugged awkwardly, nodding in an attempt to force her eyes elsewhere. "I guess, yeah."

Adrienne smiled with a softness that surprised him as she said "Good" so quietly he suspected she was saying it more to herself than anyone present. She clapped her hands together with vigor, startling everyone out of their thoughts. "Well then, Ginny, shall we continue with the tour? Lovely to meet you, Harry," she turned to the other boy, bowing slightly, "Ron," she continued to turn resting on the brunette for a beat or two before breaking down and asking, "and sorry, I don't think I caught your name."

"Hermione Granger."

Adrienne blinked several times in quick succession, frozen in her bent over posture as she attempted to find an appropriate response to such a moniker. At last she settled on, "Lovely, very distinctive – I'm positive I won't forget it. Ms. Weasley?" She stood off to one side, her hand stretched out before her. "After you."

With that said, the two women calmly made their way down the staircase. Adrienne could only imagine the discussion the group of three would be having, but her attention was soon arrested by the next person they met on their way down to the ground level.


	8. Circumstances

**A/N: A short one, due to the extreme schoolness I've come down with ;-) I hope it isn't too disappointing – I'm still working out some plot stuff for the next couple of scenes. Thanks so much to all of you for being so patience and so vocal in your support for this fic! It warms my heart and keeps me going, trust me. Please feel free to comment with any likes/dislikes or suggestions, I can't hear enough from you guys!**

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"Our guest is up and about I see!"

Adrienne hazarded her first legitimate smile of the past few days as she came down the last steps to join Ginny and Remus on the landing. "Yes, well, Ginny here insisted on giving me the tour." She bumped the teenager with her hip playfully. "A face this sweet how could I refuse?"

Ginny responded by blushing, tucking a stray bit of hair behind her ear before grinning abashedly up at Remus. "It's alright, isn't it Professor? I just sort of thought, I mean, if she's going to be staying here, somebody should tell her where everything is and introduce her around–"

"It's perfectly alright, Ginny." Remus placed a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder in an attempt to stymie the flow of excuses and defenses, smiling down at her softly. "In fact, I think it's a very good idea! However, your mother has been looking for you today, something about chores in the kitchen?"

Ginny's hands went up to her mouth in a gasp. "Oh! The special pudding, I promised I'd help, I _completely_ forgot!" She looked apologetically up at Adrienne, who couldn't help smiling wider at her young companion's obvious distress. "I'm so sorry, I-I-"

"Go on then!" Adrienne prompted, shooing her away and winking. "I wouldn't ask you to risk the wrath of your mother; not at this stage in our relationship anyway."

Ginny jogged down the hallway, skidding around the corner ever so slightly in her haste. With a sigh, Adrienne felt the smile ebb away from her face, the cheeriness she had put on for the sake of her newfound companion falling away easily.

Remus watched as Adrienne pulled her shoulders back, rubbing her neck absentmindedly as she looked down the now empty corridor in thought. "Ginny's an interesting girl, isn't she?" He posited politely.

"Hm." Adrienne pulled herself out of her thoughts by her bootstraps, shaking her hair out of her face as she made another tired attempt at a smile. "Interesting. Certainly not what I was expecting."

He took a modicum of pleasure in her expressions, leaning up against the wall behind him in an attempt to encourage the same ease in her. "You seem better! I'm glad."

She crossed her arms over her chest, head falling lightly to one side as she considered her improvement. "Yeah, well…depression really isn't my thing." A smile stole across her lips, her gaze dropping to the floor. "Much as I'd like it to be sometimes." She glanced back up into his worn face, letting him back in on the conversation. With a wider, more intentional smile she clicked her tongue in sarcastic cheeriness. "I'm just too damndably optimistic, that's my problem!"

"Really? You think _that's_ your problem?" Remus' hand went up to the bridge of his nose, squeezing tightly as Sirius came into the hallway from the first floor study just behind Adrienne. "I thought it was that you can't think without moving your lips."

Adrienne craned her head over her shoulder slowly, meeting Sirius' gaze evenly, her smile spreading like butter on hot toast. "Well, well, well – if it isn't tall, dark, and obnoxious! Crawled out of your dog house to wish me a good morning? You shouldn't have!" Her expression deadpanned. "You really shouldn't have."

"I see that you set this time aside to humiliate yourself." Sirius walked by her, his clothes brushing hers as he passed in the small hallway. "It's evening, dear."

Adrienne let him pass without comment, noting the disapproving glance Remus threw his way with an odd gratefulness festering in the pit of her stomach. When he had disappeared around the corner and into the room she surmised was the kitchen, she heaved a heartfelt sigh. "You're friend has some serious psychological problems, you do know that right?"

"All too well." Remus smiled, the edges of it worn and weary. Adrienne decided abruptly, as she decided most things, that she liked that about him. The world-weariness was oddly comforting. One got the distinct feeling that there wasn't much he hadn't heard or seen. She could be herself around him. That was good to know. "Still," Remus continued, rubbing his arm absentmindedly, "you really should meet him under better circumstances. He's a good man."

Adrienne huffed some stray hairs out of her face. "You know, you're the second person to tell me that – but I'm still not remotely convinced."


End file.
